


Lena's First Christmas

by Plant_Queen



Category: Fablehaven Series - Brandon Mull
Genre: F/M, Fluff, but its not very descriptive, holiday themed fluff, there is one kiss, this is so sweet you can practically feel your teeth rotting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-07 16:54:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8808601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plant_Queen/pseuds/Plant_Queen
Summary: Patton and Lena share some Christmas traditions together for Lena's first Christmas since she left the pond.





	1. Decorating the House

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThatOneArtyishPerson](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=ThatOneArtyishPerson).



> This was the secret Santa gift I made for the first Fablehaven secret Santa. I'm actually pretty proud about how it turned out.

“Patton Burgess why are you dragging a huge pine tree through our house?” Lena demanded, placing her hands on her hips. The tree in question was currently in the entryway to the house, with the majority of it being stuck out the door.

Patton stamped his feet to get rid of the snow coating him, and then turned to look at his wife. He grinned wildly before nearly shouting “IT’S CHRISTMAS!”

Lena stared at her husband, baffled as he grabbed the pine tree again and yanked it further into the house. The tree was probably nine feet tall and covered in leafy boughs. Patton was strong, but he wasn’t strong enough to drag a tree about by himself, so Lena assumed that there were people helping on the other side. 

“What are you even talking about?”

“Oh yeah,” Patton said, stepping back from the tree for a moment. “I guess you wouldn’t celebrate Christmas as a naiad.” His attention returned to the tree, as he and the team out the door continued to move it about. Lena tossed her hands in the air and went back to what she was doing before, Patton would tell her about “Christmas” when he was ready. 

***

A few hours later found Lena once again staring at her husband in bemused confusion. The tree had been erected in the living room, and a trail of pine needles indicated the path it had taken from the doorway. Patton was balancing atop a ladder, trying to position a small statue of an angel on the very top of the tree. 

“What in water’s name are you doing?” Lena asked.

“Oh good, you’re here! You can help decorate,” Patton said, adjusting the angel a bit, so that the trumpet it was blowing was pointed to the right.

“Patton, I think you’re forgetting something.”

At this, he finally looked up. He stared at Lena for a moment, and she looked blankly back at him. An awkward moment passed in which Patton was clearly trying to figure out what he’d forgotten. Finally, he smacked the heel of his hand to his forehead.

“That’s right! I never explained Christmas, did I?”

“Nope,” Lena popped the ending “p.”

Patton gracefully scrambled down the ladder, reaching the bottom in record time. He straightened his plaid shirt and smoothed his mustache before finally coming over to sit on the couch where Lena had taken up residence. 

“Well, I don’t know where to begin. Christmas is a holiday many mortal’s celebrate. It has biblical roots, with people usually saying that Jesus Christ was born on December 25th, the day being celebrated. But, basically, people celebrate for the entire month of December, sometimes even as early as Thanksgiving.

“But a lot of people don’t always celebrate the religious part of it. The holiday is more to gather friends and family near and to enjoy being in one another’s company. We also typically exchange gifts and cards on Christmas. 

“The really fun part, though, is decorating. This,” Patton said, gesturing to the green giant in the corner, “is a Christmas tree. I believe the pine part of the tradition was adopted from Yuletide celebrations. Mortals put ornaments and decorations on the tree, and gifts are typically wrapped and stored below. We also hang up stockings, put up mangers, hang wreaths, and other decorations, including Christmas lights!” Patton sat back, satisfied with his explanation.

Lena was quiet for a moment, thinking about what Patton told her. “So,” she started, speaking slowly, “this holiday is important to you?”

“Christmas is probably one of my favorite times of year,” Patton affirmed.

“Then it’s important to me as well,” Lena declared as she stood. “Now show me how to decorate this Christmas tree.”

Patton grinned up at his wife, “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” Lena said, smiling down at him. 

***

Lena may never have experienced Christmas before, but she did have an eye for decoration. This was a trait, apparently, that Patton lacked. 

“Patton, you can’t hang four red ornaments right next to each other!” Lena removed three of the delicate baubles before stepping back to consider the tree.

“Why not?” he asked, peeking around. His warm brown eyes practically sparkled in the dancing light woven into the tree. The light was a gift from the fairies, and the tree was enchanted to glow brilliantly until Christmas day itself. Patton was supposed to be weaving strands of golden beads around the tree, but he kept getting distracted. “Those are my favorite ornaments, and I want them to be right up front.”

“It ruins the look if you have too many of one color in one place. Here,” Lena said as she placed the ornaments, “doesn’t this look better.”

Patton gazed thoughtfully and then shrugged. Lena grabbed two more ornaments, little figurines of children's’ toys this time. There wasn’t a theme to the ornaments, which Lena liked. It was a hodge podge of different colors, patterns, and styles, which made the tree look like festive chaos. Lena thought it was the perfect decoration style for her walking embodiment of festive chaos. 

Lena smiled, stopping for a second to watch Patton. He was very focused on winding the beads just-so around the tree. His nose was scrunched up and his eyes were serious, but he was smiling. Not a dashing grin or flirtatious smirk, just the soft smile he usually wore when they woke up and she caught him staring at her. That smile, she knew, meant he was happy and content.

Patton looked up to find Lena staring at him. “Like what you see?” he asked suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows.

“No, you have tinsel stuck in your mustache.”

Patton’s hand flew up to his mouth as he tried desperately to get rid of the non-existent tinsel. A laugh bubbled out of Lena; Patton stopped to give her a faux-wounded look.

“Lies! I was lied to, nay, betrayed! And by the love of my life, my angel. On Christmas no less!” Patton cast one hand up to his forehead in a dramatic gesture, shutting his eyes. “How can I ever go on?” he moaned.

“Oh, come here, you big baby.” Lena’s smile grew wider. She hung the ornaments she’d been holding on the tree and walked over to her husband. She dropped a light kiss on his lips. Patton grinned. 

“Ah ha! My plan worked. I got you to kiss me,” he bragged. 

Lena scoffed, “We are MARRIED, you huge dork.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t like it when you kiss me.”

Lena merely smiled and considered the tree. It had been about two hours of decorating, but it was finally done. Granted, it probably would have been done sooner if they hadn’t stopped every two minutes to tease each other, but Lena couldn’t recall ever having so much fun. 

Patton wove an arm around Lena’s waist. She rested her head on his strong shoulders. “I think the tree looks beautiful,” Patton whispered. Lena hummed her agreement. 

The pair stood like that for a while in silence. Lena basked in the warmth of her husband and the soft glow of the enchanted tree. If every Christmas was like this, Lena thought, then Christmas was her new favorite holiday.

“All right,” Patton said, stretching his hands above his head, “enough of a break. We’ve got more decorating to do.”

“You mean we aren’t done yet?”

“Not even close,” Patton winked, striding off. He promptly tripped over a cardboard box that held the unused ornaments, yelping as he hit the floor. Lena rolled her eyes, festive chaos indeed. 

***

The afternoon was a whirlwind of activity. Lena coordinated the hanging of various wreaths, put up a miniature Christmas village on a decorative table, and placed a startling amount of fake deer in the yard - which was baffling to her. Patton explained that many mortal children believed in Santa Claus, a Christmas wizard who flew about in a sleigh pulled by eight magic reindeer that could fly. Lena had no idea where mortals got such silly ideas, nor did she know why they put decorative deer in their yards to celebrate, but she did know it made Patton happy, which was enough for her. 

In fact, this Christmas season seemed to make everyone happy. Even though there were weeks to go until they reached the actual holiday itself, most people seemed to be in a cheery mood. Several called out holiday-themed greetings, and there was a sort of excitement in the air as everyone discussed the upcoming festivities. 

Even Lena wasn’t immune, as she found herself calling out “Happy Holidays!” and “Merry Christmas!” to passing workers. The fairies sniffed and tittered at her and the stupid mortal traditions, but the comments couldn’t dampen Lena’s spirits. 

Eventually, Lena found herself back in the house, sitting down on the couch in front of the Christmas tree with a huff. She felt surprisingly tired from the afternoon of decorating. But everything was finally done, and it seemed Christmas itself was in the very air. At least, that’s what Lena thought before Patton poked his head into the room.

Before he could even speak, she noticed the mischievous glint in her husband’s warm brown eyes. His eyebrows were cocked in such a way that Lena just knew he was planning something. 

“Oh Lena!” he called, trying, and failing, to keep a grin off his face. “I need your help with something, my angel.” 

“I’m sure you do,” Lena muttered under her breath as she stood. “What is it?”

“I need your help while I hang something up in the entry way.” 

“Patton, I’m 5 foot 2. Unless you’re going to hoist me on your shoulders, there isn’t a lot I can do to help.”

“I just need you to hold the ladder steady,” he said, a pleading look came on his face. 

Lena held her ground for a moment before caving and following him out of the room. She could never resist those damn puppy-eyes, and Patton knew it too. Lena trailed after Patton, still suspicious of whatever her husband was planning. 

The couple made it out into the entryway, Patton climbed up the ladder while Lena held it steady, and then he hung a little bundle of plants. Patton quickly came back down the ladder and turned to Lena with a self-satisfied smile. 

What did you han-” Lena’s question got cut off when Patton swooped in a placed a kiss on her lips. Lena felt her eyes flutter shut as her husband’s lips moved against hers. They stayed locked in their embrace for a few minutes, desperately fighting the need to breathe just so they could enjoy the kiss a little longer. Finally, though, they were forced apart. Lena stared at Patton, breathing deeply. She cleared and throat and, a little hoarsely, said “I have many questions.”

“I have many answers,” Patton replied cheekily.

“One, what was that thing you hung? Two, why did you just make out with me - not that I didn’t like it, it just seemed random? And three, why did you say you needed my help when you clearly didn’t?”

“That, my angel, is mistletoe.” Patton slipped around behind Lena and pointed up at the plant high in the air. He was whispering in Lena’s ear, probably just because he knew it sent shivers down her spine. “And it’s a Christmas tradition to kiss people if you happen to be under the mistletoe. And I didn’t want to break tradition.” Lena could practically hear the smile in his voice. 

“So that’s why you called me out here! So you could get me under this mistletoe.”

“Guilty as charged,” Patton said, not sounding guilty in the least.

“You do realize I’m your wife, right? You can kiss me whenever you want.”

“How could I forget,” Patton murmured as he gently kissed the back of Lena’s neck. She sighed, content for the moment just to be held by her husband. 

After a beat, Patton straightened his back, groaning a bit as he stretched. Sometimes Lena forgot how tall his 6 foot frame was in comparison to her. He must have bent over really far to have nuzzled her neck. Lena craned her head up, looking at Patton as he looked at her. 

“There’s one more tradition I want to share with you,” he said. “That is, if you’re willing.” He held out one hand.

“Always,” Lena said as she placed her hand in his. 

***

Lena and Patton snuggled up closer, watching the stars. Patton had gathered up all the softest and warmest blankets he could find while Lena made hot chocolate. The couple then carefully made their way out onto the roof and promptly curled up in their nest of blankets together, sipping on the warm cocoa. 

Patton had explained that it was his mother’s tradition. On the first of December, they would go out into the yard and drink hot chocolate while watching the stars. They would laugh and tell stories and reflect on everything that happened that year. When Patton got older and braver, they moved the star-gazing out onto the roof. 

Lena held his hand as Patton recalled the hard times of the year. She laughed with him when he told funny stories that she’d heard a thousand times but loved anyway, if only for the way his eyes shone and his face flushed. Lena pulled him close when memories of his uncle came up - a man she never knew and never pried about, but who clearly caused Patton some measure of pain. 

n turn, Patton laughed with Lena when she recalled stories from the pond. He held her hand when she thought back on all that she missed, but he beamed when she listed everything that she’d gained. Patton pulled her close when she confided in how lonely she sometimes felt as a mortal. 

The moon rose higher in the sky, and the night wasn’t over yet. Patton told Christmas stories and myths, and when he grew tired of talking, Lena regaled him with naiadic legends. And when Lena was so tired she thought she might just fall asleep on that roof, Patton scooped her into his arms and carried her bridal-style down into their bedroom. Lena giggled and snuggled closer in his strong arms, feeling safe and warm. She fell asleep before they even made it to their bedroom.

Patton gazed down at his sleeping wife in his arms. He still felt in awe of her sometimes. He was convinced that there was never a man so lucky as he. Lena was everything he dreamed about and more. From the moment she left the pond for him, Patton had been determined to give her a life of experiences, and he vowed never to forget just how fortunate he truly was for being able to hold her in his arms. 

"Goodnight, my angel. I love you.”


	2. Christmas Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Patton exchange gifts.

“Pssst, Lena. Leeennnnaaaa. Wake up my angel.” A deep, soothing voice was whispering in Lena's ear as she slept.

“Whaa?” She mumbled, still half asleep.

“Lena, wake up sleepy head. Don't make me tickle you.” The voice sounded amused. All Lena wanted to do was sleep, so she borrowed further down into the blankets.

The voice tssked. “None of that now.” Then, Lena felt fingers skittering over her body. She sat upright in bed, laughing as the fingers kept tickling her. The fingers and the voice belonged to her husband, who was grinning at her.

“Patton! What… what are you?” Lena tried to get out her question between her laughs.

“You didn’t wake up early enough so now the tickle monster has to punish you!” Patton gleefully replied to her unasked question.

Lena was laughing so hard her stomach hurt. She was extremely ticklish and Patton knew it, so he was always finding excuses to tickle her. Lena tried to roll away from Patton and his ticklings, but he kept up behind her. Eventually, he was laughing too hard himself to continue trying to tickle Lena. 

Finally, Lena glanced at the clock. She turned to her husband. “Is there a reason you woke me up at 7:00 am?”

Patton looked at her before bellowing at almost full volume “MERRY CHRISTMAS, LENA!”

Lena clamped her hands over her ears, but she smiled at her Patton’s antics. “Oh, so today is the day that we spent all that time decorating for?”

Patton nodded. He stood and offered his hand to Lena, when she accepted, he pulled her up. “Today is also the day when we open gifts.”

Lena smiled. She definitely hadn’t forgotten the gift giving part. Patton went to round up the other people on the preserve that would be spending Christmas with them while Lena got ready. When everyone had been assembled, the group made their way to the tree. 

A mountain of gifts was piled beneath. Wrapped boxes in all colors of the rainbow, shining packages, and voluminous bags dominated the living room. The sight was lovely to behold, with the tree sparkling brightly and the gifts sitting prettily. Even some snow was gently falling outside. Large, fluffy flakes that blanketed the yard in a shimmering white. 

The morning was spent trading gifts. Everyone was laughing and talking and generally enjoying themselves. If Lena was confused about why mortals loved Christmas before, she definitely was not confused now. The gifts themselves were less important, but the thought behind the gifts made the holiday truly special.

Patton had gifted one of the younger preserve hands a new shovel after he had broken the old one by accidentally hitting Hugo with it when the golem had startled him. The boy who received the gift glared at Patton for a moment before breaking down into giggles. Another person had gotten Patton a tin of wax specifically for his mustache, which they all teased him about. Other gifts were less about poking fun and more about thoughtfulness. Lena and Patton had given one of the older woman a new sewing machine, and another person had received a piece of art they’d seen in a gallery and had enjoyed. 

It had been several hours since they started unwrapping gifts, but now everything was done. Lena would need to start helping with the cooking for Christmas dinner soon, but she still had one gift left to give. 

Lena looked at Patton and gently inclined her head. He nodded his understanding and left the room. Lena made her way out of the room as well, detouring once to grab her gift to Patton. 

“Merry Christmas, my angel,” Patton said, swooping down to press a quick kiss to Lena’s lips once they had distanced themselves from the group a bit.

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” Lena smiled, happy to share the holiday with the love of her life. 

“I got you this,” the couple said at the same time. They both froze, staring at each other for a beat before laughing. 

“You go first,” Lena said once the giggles subsided. 

Patton gingerly brought out a black jewelry box wrapped in a white silk ribbon. Lena took it from him and undid the ribbon, then opened the box. She gasped.

“I know you don’t wear jewelry all that much, but I couldn’t resist,” Patton said, a hint of anxiety entering his tone. “Do you like it?”

Lena, who had been staring at the necklace, snapped her eyes to Patton. “Like it? I love it! Where on Earth did you find this?” She held the necklace by the fine silver chain, spinning it slowly so that the pendant caught the light. 

“I was in India, and I had to chase down a few traffickers. One of them had that, so I turned it into a necklace.”

The object in question was, quite simply, a priceless treasure. A single scale from the mythical rainbow fish, a creature that had been hunted to near extinction long ago. It was thought for there only to be one or two left in the wild. The rainbow fish had scales of four different colors, green for earth, yellow for lightening, red for fire, and blue for water. Patton had somehow found a blue scale, which shimmered wherever the light hit it.

Lena allowed herself another moment of staring before gently putting the necklace back in its box and placing it to the side. She pulled out her gift to Patton, a white jewelry box with black satin ribbon. 

Patton took the gift and opened it curiously, pulling out a smoke colored ring. He looked at Lena, clearly pleased but a little confused. 

“My sisters collected treasures in the pond from the people we killed, you know. That one was from a careless adventurer who fell into our pond. He was wearing a suit of adamant armor, complete with that ring. It was my favorite, of all our treasures. I brought it with me the day I left the pond. Fitting, for our first real interaction, don’t you think?”

Patton blinked in surprise at the ring. “What do the inscriptions say?” he asked. His voice was a little husky; Lena knew he was touched by the gift. 

“To my one and only love,” Lena replied. Patton slipped the ring on, his throat working a bit as he did so. Lena pulled the necklace from the box and swept her hair to the side so that Patton could do the clasp. Wearing each other’s gifts, Lena and Patton kissed again, both touched by their partner’s generosity and thoughtfulness. 

Being held by her husband, Lena thought about Christmas. Between decorating the house, making cookies, having snowball fights, and now this, she realized she loved the holiday. More than that, she loved the man who had made the holiday so special for her. The man who had gone out of his way to make her feel so incredibly loved. 

“What’s wrong?” Patton asked, pulling back in concern. He’d noticed the tears glimmering in Lena’s eyes. 

“I just was thinking about how much I love you,” Lena choked out. At her words, tears sprang up in Patton’s eyes as well. 

They looked at each other, both of them crying. Then Lena started laughing. It came out as a little gasp at first, slowly turning into chuckling. Then she was guffawing. At some point, Patton joined in. There the two of them were, doubled over, laughing so hard that Lena could no longer tell if the tears streaming down her face were from her love of Patton or from her lack of oxygen. Maybe a mixture of both. 

After the laughter had died down a bit, Lena looked over at Patton. He was radiating happiness, his cheeks red from laughing and his brown eyes sparkling. 

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Lena placed a light kiss on Patton’s cheek before going into the kitchen to help cook the meal. All of the women cooed over her necklace, and Lena beamed with pride when she heard what she thought were congratulatory slaps on Patton’s back. 

The meal was cooked to perfection, and Lena could hardly remember ever stuffing herself so full of food. After Christmas dinner, the people dispersed to various activities. Lena played cards with some of the men for a while, and she schooled them all. 

Christmas day was truly a magical time, Lena thought. Everyone was happy and peaceful. She caught sight of her husband and touched the pendant at her neck. Christmas was definitely Lena’s new favorite holiday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok this was supposed to only be one chapter, but I couldn't help myself. The world needs more of our two favorite dorks. I also apparently can't write any Patton and Lena interactions without having them tickle fights, so idk what' up with that but I'm rolling with it. Also, I did edit it, but this was super spur of the moment, so if you see mistakes that need to be corrected, let me know. 
> 
> Last thing: This story may be the fluffiest thing I've ever written and I pretty much exclusively write fluff.


End file.
